About/ Members

Welcome to the Long Island Rail Road Commuter Council webpage. Our council consists of Long Island Rail Road commuters who volunteer their time to improve the ride for everyone. Here you can find information about the council and its members as well as learn how to become involved.

2014 marked the Long Island Rail Road’s 180th Anniversary. LIRR is the nation’s oldest railroad still operating under its original name and the nation’s top railroad in terms of passengers, and we are honored to represent its riders.

The LIRRCC is dedicated to improving the rider experience. First and foremost, the Council is always seeking to improve communications between the LIRR and its ridership so as to make commutes better. We also see the need to modernize the system to deal with the increasing threat of severe weather and will continue to call for additional infrastructure investments, including the completion of the second track from Farmingdale to Ronkonkoma and the Main Line Third Track, which will help meet the demands of current and future riders. We are sensitive to the stress of the increasing financial burden of fares on commuters as well as the need to better serve the intermediate and reverse commuting and New York City markets and work to ensure that fare policies and service plans address these issues. Advocating for service improvements and restorations is always in the forefront of our work.

The LIRRCC frequently holds Meet the Commuter Council events, which we use as opportunities to listen to the riders and provide them with information about the Council and its activities. Please check the event calendar to find out when the next council event is scheduled. Click here to join our email list. It would be great to meet you!

Mark J. Epstein
Chair – Long Island Rail Road Commuter Council

The Mission of the Long Island Rail Road Commuter Council is to:

To give riders of Long Island Rail Road an effective voice in the formulation and implementation of the Rail Road’s policies

To provide the Long Island Rail Road management and the MTA Board with informed and timely advice on service, communications and rider experience

To hold the Long Island Rail Road management accountable to the users of its services

The goals of the LIRRCC are:

To insure the delivery of Long Island Rail Road service that is safe, customer friendly and meets the need of riders in terms of quality and quantity

To insure the maintenance and timely upgrading of Long Island Rail Road facilities, including stations, rolling stock and line infrastructure